


Frozen Bonds

by LucidDucid



Category: DreamSMP, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Family, Family Bonding, Family Conflict, Family Issues, Found Family, Grief/Mourning, Manipulation, Past Character Death, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Self-Harm, Shock, Trauma, i plan to write a lot more so stay tuned, later on tho i'll put warnings before that chapter, no betas we die like dream in the bloopers, uhh im bad with tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:27:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28110891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucidDucid/pseuds/LucidDucid
Summary: A pig, a ghost, a comfort, a nuisance.A̶ ̶h̶a̶l̶f̶l̶i̶n̶g̶,̶ ̶a̶ ̶f̶i̶g̶h̶t̶e̶r̶,̶ ̶a̶ ̶k̶i̶n̶g̶,̶ ̶a̶ ̶s̶o̶n̶.̶ ̶ ̶A̶ ̶r̶u̶l̶e̶r̶,̶ ̶a̶ ̶w̶a̶r̶r̶i̶o̶r̶,̶ ̶a̶ ̶j̶e̶s̶t̶e̶r̶,̶ ̶a̶ ̶s̶e̶r̶v̶a̶n̶t̶.̶The Dream Smp is changing, and those within it, are going through a lot right now.(Techno centered right now)
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & Phil Watson, Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, No Romantic Relationship(s), Technoblade & Philza
Comments: 27
Kudos: 361





	1. Startled Swine

**Author's Note:**

> This started as me just trying to guess canon, but now it's turned into my own AU, so enjoy the angst filled ride!
> 
> Also the next chapters are much longer than this, this is just a short starting chapter fueled by caffeine and no sleep (now redone by awake me with even more caffeine). o7
> 
> You should follow me on twitter @luciddaymare <3

The quiet sounds of hooves crunching into the snow are the only true sounds heard across the white blanketed tundra tonight. The sounds of the earth still, save for the occasional gust of wind that blew by and rattled the nearby trees, as well as sending stray pink hairs and parts of a horse's mane up in a brief flurry before settling once more on frosted shoulders. It had been a long day of, well everything. And frankly, Technoblade wanted nothing more than to be home resting in front of his fireplace right now.

He'd been out adventuring for a few days now, on some quest to get a few totems to aid later fights when he truly needed it. It wasn't that he was exactly relying on the item for victory, oh no no. He simply just wanted assurance of victory was all. He was wise and always well prepped for anything, but sometimes the unexpected could happen. Which was something that sadly ran through his bloodline. (His father didn't have the best track record when it came to surviving...) 

When the lights of a warm home finally came into view, Techno let out the largest sigh of his life. “Finally. It’s only been _all_ day.” He lightly kicks his heels into his horse as a signal to change from a walk to a gallop, and thanks to such good genetics, they were home before he knew it. "Thank you, Carl. I would rate that ride five stars." He hums as he hops off his trusty steed, taking hold of the reigns to lead Carl into his stable and get him situated for the night. "Here is your tip, one golden carrot, as usual." He holds out the treat patiently, watching the great beast tenderly take it from his palm and do the opposite of gentle and wolf it down. What a beautiful horse. 

"I can't believe I raised such poor manners." He tsks, but smiles as he gives Carl a little pat before going inside. The moment the doors swing open and Techno steps inside, he's hit with an overwhelming feeling to just _sleep_. But he knows he cant yet, since he'd kill himself in the morning if he didn't sort out his things and put everything away. He couldn't just make a mess without someone around to blame for it. What if Phil suddenly showed up?

“Home sweet home.” Techno sighs, letting the wind aggressively force the door close behind him. He begins dropping things from his person; his sword, satchel, etc. then he took off his clunky fur lined outfit and hung it up on its spot on the wall. “God, I’m never going back to that mansion. You guys straight up _lied_ to me, you said we’d get more totems if I followed your stupid plan, and I did! To a T! And what do I get from it?” He picks up his satchel and dumps the contents on top of a nearby chest. "Twenty apples eaten, four potions used, and a few pearls wasted." He frowns. "Now what do you have to say to yourself, huh? We never even got the extra totem." On cue, the never ending voices emerged from the depths of Techno's mind and started to bicker and fight over his frustrations..

_‘̶Y̶o̵u̷ ̴j̸u̸s̴t̴ ̵d̵i̷d̸n̵’̴t̶ ̵k̴i̵l̷l̴ ̴i̸t̶ ̸r̴i̶g̴h̴t̸’ . ‘̴Y̴o̶u̵ ̵l̷e̷f̴t̸ ̷i̶t̸ ̶o̵n̴ ̷t̷h̷e̷ ̴f̴l̷o̸o̸r̸’ . ‘̷Y̶o̴u̶ ̸m̷i̸s̸s̴e̶d̴ ̸i̵t̶’ . ‘̵J̴u̵s̸t̵ ̶g̵e̴t̵ ̷b̸e̷t̴t̴e̴r̴,̵ ̵p̵i̸g̷s̷t̸e̴p̷’_

“Pigstep? Well I’ll take that as a compliment, _thank you very much_.” He smiles and allows himself to act a little proud for just a moment, knowing it would cause them to riot more. Which it did, spurring a quick laugh from the half-beast. “But anyways, I’m telling you guys! There was nothing left!" He exclaims. "I turned that place over three times, and nothing. Absolutely nothing. They didn’t drop anymore, there was no secret chest. You bastards lied to me." He huffs, starting to sort out his things as he talked to Chat. "Besides, I have enough for right now I think.” He picks up one of the totems with a clawed hand and looks it over. He huffs. At least they looked cool. "Now where to store them. Uhhhhh, what about this one over here- Damn zombie. Why did Phil have to leave them RIGHT HERE!?" Phil was... Something. He mentioned he needed the zombies for some experiment later, so Techno was more than fine with leaving them here for the time being until they could be moved. But god, could they be annoying. Like, how rude of them to try and bite the hand that literally fed them. So rude.

_'̵C̷a̵r̸e̸f̸u̵l̵,̶ ̵t̸h̸e̴y̴ ̷b̴i̵t̴e̷.̸'_

“Really? Holy crap, no way! Thank you for telling me, chat! Really! I truthfully had no idea these cannibalistic, mindless creatures could rip your face off and infect you if you let them so much as get a _nip_ out of ya. Like, if you hadn’t told me, I might’ve accidentally just-” He stuck his hand out in front of one of their rotting faces, watching as the creature reached out to try to bite him, but it didn’t actually have teeth. So all it did really was try to gum his fingers. “You guys really think Phil and I would leave potent zombies in my house? Nahhhhh.” He laughed as the voices in his head started calling him a ‘reckless pig’ and fifty other things in various languages, though most were swearing at him to be more careful. Then returned the always constant, and sometimes slightly overwhelming majority of them telling him things that didn’t really matter to him. He just ignored them, as usual though. More focused on getting to bed than planning his next adventure. 

This is usually how time went for Techno. He would go out for a few days with a plan, accomplish said plan, come back with goodies, sort what he collected, prepare a new weapon of war, and chat would keep him company through the boring but necessary task to keep order. Then, after all that, he’d make a nice meal for himself then _finally_ go to bed. Then the next day he’d simply do it all over again if he had the time or energy. Sometimes he did stuff with Phil if he came over. It’s just how it was. And he liked it, honestly. He appreciated routine, set things to do and times to get them done, the only surprises ever were visits from Phil, which had it been anyone else, let's just say he'd shut the door in their face. 

He didn’t hate surprises, truthfully. Okay he kind of did, but he just didn’t like not being prepared were something to go wrong. Which he found pretty understandable in his mind.

Though lately, he was away from home more than usual lately. Phil always had some new project to work on that he ‘needed’ Techno's help with. When in reality, he knew Phil just missed having someone to talk and hang out with, so he was happy to stop by and please the older man for a bit with a visit. If it wasn't Phil, though. It was Dream with some clues to a new adventure. Something new that would interest the beast and occupy him for a few days, which was always fun since it usually ended with him coming home with more cool things than expected. The times where he had nothing planned, though, were both his favorite and least favorite kinds of days. He’d finally be able to be alone, allowed to try and relax to fit into the ‘retirement’ role he’d given himself. But then again, it also meant that he was alone with chat, and that was only fun when they weren’t picking on him or pestering him to do some dumb thing that was ‘so incredibly important’. And let's be honest. When was the last time they'd actually done that?

“Well? What should we have for dinner, boys?” Techno asks seemingly nothing as he moved around his home and threw open various cupboards and chests, looking at his food storage to see just what he could cook up tonight. There wasn’t a whole lot to pick from, surprisingly. Which made no sense at all. “Whaaaaat? I just stocked this last week.” Techno scratched at his head. "Chat, what happened? Didn't we just fill this full of food?" He takes a moment to try and sort out a few coherent answers from chat. 

'̸H̶e̵ ̶t̷o̴o̶k̵ ̶i̶t̷!̵' . '̷T̴h̷i̴e̸f̵?̵'̷ . '̸w̶a̶i̵t̵ ̷w̵h̷o̷ ̸s̵t̶o̴l̵e̵ ̸f̸r̸o̶m̵ ̶t̸e̵c̸h̵n̶o̷?̶' . '̷I̸ ̴c̵o̶u̷n̸t̸e̸d̷ ̴h̸i̷s̷ ̵s̷u̷p̸p̷l̸y̷ ̶m̵y̷s̶e̸l̷f̷-̶' . '̶P̴h̶i̵l̷?̴' . '̶T̷O̵M̵M̷Y̷ ̷T̴O̵O̷K̴ ̷I̷T̸!̷'

“Alright now you’re just being ridiculous. Tommy’s exiled, do you guys not know what that means? E x i l e d. Try looking up a dictionary.” Rolling tired eyes moved to look around for the matches he had shoved somewhere in the kitchen. Eventually he found them and struck one on the box to light some candles around the kitchen, too lazy to light all the lanterns when he'd just have to blow them out later. It was a waste of resources. Candles were much easier to deal with. “Guys. Drop it. Tommy can’t come anywhere near any land that’s been touched already. You all know this. And I thought you guys were smart.” Techno huffs while pulling his favorite mug from the cupboard, a gift from Phil that he treasured quite a lot, so he could have some tea. Phil was such a big influence to him, something Techno only now seemed to realize as he went outside to fill a pot full of snow to melt over the furnace. He’d grown to love and hate a lot of things from spending so much time with the man that had grown to become like a father to him. He had no family, they died when he was a baby. But Phil had been the first sense of family he ever had. 

Techno often wondered how different he’d be now if he was raised by someone else. But more bad than good thoughts would fill his head when he wondered it for too long, so he always ended up shaking it from his mind to think about another time.

_'̶G̴o̷ ̴h̷e̸l̴p̷ ̵T̴o̸m̴m̶y̶!̸ . H̷e̴'̴s̵ ̶o̷u̸t̶!̸'̴_

Techno just rolls his eyes again. “Chat. He’s stuck out there on that beach where Dream put him. You _know_ this. So stop acting like you don't. And besides, Phil restocks the shelves eventually. He’s just been busy with that new farm of his so he probably has only had time to grab food and not give food.” And yet, the idea of Tommy stealing from him did put a few puzzle pieces together for him. To start, food was missing, as he realized tonight. But it was more than Phil would just take without saying something. He'd leave a note or explain why he hadn't been back to replace it all yet. On top of that, things also seemed to randomly be out of place or just straight up gone by the time Techno returned home from his adventures. He was trying to force himself to believe it was simply Phil going senile in his old age. After all, he did briefly mention he might swing by to grab some stuff for the farm. Surely that was all it was.

That should’ve been the end of his questions, and he planned for it to be. He just wanted a nice, quiet, relaxing night to himself. Just some food and drink, then off to bed for piggy man. And that was going to be the plan, had a sudden faint scream not been heard downstairs in his basement which instantly put the beast on edge.

Immediately spinning on his heel, Techno pulled out his knife from its holster on his thigh and held it tight as he grabbed a candle to see. It wasn’t one of the zombies, it couldn't have been. Their mutilated vocal cords were definitely unable to make whatever sound that had been. No, it sounded- human? But, there wasn't anyone else in the area. Not besides-

"Come onnnn dude. I just want to sleep..." He groans, sheathing his knife so he could safely go down the ladder with the candle. The further down he ventured in his home, the sooner he realized just what he was hearing. It sounded like… crying? “Ew, emotions? In my house?” It was more likely than he thought. Despite the failed attempt at distraction humor, which made Chat go wild, Techno's mind was still on high alert.

He quickly noticed the noises were coming from the left corner of the basement, where a recently moved piece of stone lay slightly out of position from how it should have been to properly fit in with the rest in the floor. “What the-” He set down the candle and very, very quietly set aside the large piece of rock. He wanted to call out to whoever, or whatever, was down there. To like give a warning or threaten it or something. But seeing as it hadn’t seemed to notice him yet, Techno much preferred to keep his advantage.

̷ _'̸K̵I̴L̸L̶ ̴I̷T̸ ̸K̵I̵L̵L̶ ̶I̴T̴' . '̵I̴T̶S̸ ̴T̸H̷E̷ ̶T̷H̸I̴E̶F̸!̸'_

“Shh! It's probably just an animal, be quiet!” Techno hissed quietly, a finger moving to his mouth as he leaned down the uncovered hole. Even though it didn’t sound like it, nothing was impossible.

_'̸R̷A̷C̵O̷O̷N̵I̷N̷N̴I̴T̶!̷!̸ ̴R̴A̶C̶C̵O̵O̶N̶I̵N̶N̴I̴T̶!̸!̸' . '̵t̵r̶a̷s̴h̵ ̸r̸a̴t̵ ̴l̸o̶o̶k̸i̸n̴ ̸a̷s̷s̵' . '̷i̶ ̶j̵u̴s̶t̸ ̶g̷o̷t̵ ̷h̷e̸r̴e̴ ̸w̶h̵a̴t̸'̷s̷ ̵g̷o̴i̴n̷g̸ ̸o̵n̸?̷'_

“Okay now you’re all just being ridicul-” Techno had his head halfway down the small hole, just enough room to allow his eyes to scan whatever dimly lit area had been created under his home. Which, by the way, smelt _horrible_. And that’s when he saw the very thing he dreaded above all else. The one thing he'd prayed for weeks would never find him here.

Techno saw his younger fucking brother, curled up in the corner on some poor ass attempt at a bed, crying softly into one of the pillows Techno had been unable to find for the past week and a half. And… was he wearing one of his shirts? His FAVORITE shirts? He let out a snort at that.

Just how long had he been here?

“Tommy???”


	2. Frosted Floorboards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Techno to confront his brother/racoon living under his floorboards, but can he handle it on his own?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> N O T E:
> 
> So, today's streams (12/16/2020) caused a lot more to happen then what I intended to write out, so this is turning into an AU of my own since I have a storyline semi-plotted out. So don't mind that, just enjoy this totally real canon SBI content <3
> 
> (update from when I rewrote the first 2 chapters: If there's any typos I'll fix them later, I'm very tired but wanted to update these in order to push out the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!)  
> Follow me on twitter @luciddaymare!

“Tommy! God it's so cold down here- Why are you even in my house in the first place!?” Techno’s voice was filled with clear unexpectancy, though his angry sounding tone accidentally sparked a fire of panic in the poor boy so badly it looked like his soul left his body for a moment. When he collected what little remained of himself, Tommy was fast to move shrink back into the corner he’d been sleeping in. His back pressed as far back into the cold stone corner as it would allow to create as much distance between the two brothers as possible. He looked like a half frozen rabbit that got caught hiding in a wolves den. And, to be frank. He kind of was.

“T-Techno? What are yo- you weren’t supposed to find me- I-I can explain, I’m sorry. I can, I can-”

“Stop stop, just- just wait a second." He sighed, cutting his rambling before it could properly begin. "I’m not gonna talk to you with just my head shoved down a ladder hole into some stink pit. Just- just give me a second.” Techno descended the ladder properly, thinking all was semi well until he realize he was standing in a bunch of trash. Literally just, a bunch of trash and old food. That explained where his entire pantry had gone. 

He looked down at his boots and grimaced as he tried to shake a fruit peel off his foot. “Yuck.” He kicked away some of the trash that had begun to accumulate over the floor so he actually had somewhere decent to stand. God this place was filthy. Just how long had Tommy been living down here? “Just when were you going to tell me you- huh?”

Suddenly, he was cut off by the sounds of various items being thrown across the room and landing at his feet. Confused and startled by everything being suddenly thrown his way, Techno backed up into the opposite corner to get away from it all. He was so confused. In the pile he saw both his missing things and other stuff he assumed was actually Tommy's. Like a pair of stone tools, some gapples, some dia- His slippers?? What the hell, he was looking for those. "What the hell, Tommy?? Stop giving me your shit- actually this is MY shit, so stop throwing it around like garbage and just put it back where you got it!!" He waved his arms to catch Tommy's attention, which seemed to work since he stopped tossing his things. He broke out into a nonstop babble of apologies and explanations to his actions. He was talking so fast though that the only things Techno managed to catch were 'I'm sorry for taking so long' and 'I'm sorry for hiding again'. Neither of which made any normal sense to him. 

Tommy knew exactly what he was saying, however. He knew the drill, he knew how things went in this world. The moment Tommy was before someone of higher power, he was to immediately be beneath them. Submit before they make you submit. Become tame before they tame you. Give up before they make you give in. So you shed your worldly possessions and prove yourself to them. And with your sacrifice, do they grant you another day living among them. He was simply following the rules.

Lost in thought of what to do, Chat ended up startling him back to reality. Though the mixed shouts and whispers of different approaches to take here were something Techno really wasn't a fan of. 

_'̴D̴u̸m̸b̷ ̸b̶o̸y̵' . '̴s̷o̶ ̶h̵e̴ ̶D̷I̷D̸ ̴s̴t̵e̶a̵l̴!̶'̴ . '̴G̸o̷ ̴e̶a̸s̷y̸ ̷o̸n̷ ̴h̸i̴m̸!̸'̶ . '̷T̸h̴i̶e̷f̴!̵!̶'̸ . '̷p̶u̶n̸i̷s̵h̵ ̴h̴i̴m̵'̴_

“T-Techno, listen. I'm sorry, alright?" Tommy broke the silence again, since to him, silence meant thinking. And thinking usually came with bad, painful ideas. He didn't want Techno to think for that long. "I’m truly, truly sorry. I took too long. I didn’t meant to be hiding shit from you. I didn’t, I-” Before he could gush more over his wrong, again, Techno suddenly interrupted by stepping over the pile of mixed valuables and junk to reach out for the blond. His plan was to simply just hold onto Tommy in an attempt to make him sit still for at least a few seconds and just listen. But all Techno had accomplished with that was inciting a panic in the young boy which was so bad he started to freak out again, so Techno moved back immediately. “No no!! Please I gave you everything already, just take the stuff. Drea- Techno, please. I promise that’s all the bad stuff I’ve got on me. Just some pictures left, that’s all. You don't want those, I promise you-”

“Tommy! Just stop already! Please, for one goddamn minute, let me talk!" He went against his own gut feeling and grabbed hold of Tommy, desperate for him to- "Just stop for one second! Goddamn, kid!" The shouting caused Tommy to freeze, which while it made him feel bad, it was also just exactly what Techno needed. 

"Okay, o-okay... I'm listening, Techno." His voice carried no confidence and it sounded a lot more shakier than before. He didn't even dare try and meet his brother's gaze. 

"Alright. Now, you can keep the stuff, okay? I don’t care about some dumb items. Well I do but just-" He sighed. Just what? Even Techno himself didn't know. He wasn't good at this sappy emotional talky stuff. He tried to learn from Phil but it just never really worked. He knew how to tell stories and spin and change old fables to his will. He was good with words, sure. But not good at using them to comfort people.

 _'̶H̷e̸'̴s̸ ̴b̵e̵e̷n̴ ̴t̸h̴r̶o̶u̷g̴h̷ ̴a̵ ̷l̴o̴t̸.̷' . '̸G̴o̵ ̵e̷a̷s̸y̵ ̶o̸n̶ ̶h̵i̵m̶ ̴T̶e̸c̶h̷n̸o̸!̸' . '̵D̷r̴e̸a̴m̷ ̸d̷i̴d̸ ̴t̴h̶i̸s̴ ̸t̴o̶ ̴h̷i̶m̴'̵_  


_‘Quiet. Just let me think for a minute.’_

_'̷s̸o̴m̷e̸o̷n̶e̴ ̷h̶u̶r̶t̶ ̶h̶i̷m̴,̷ ̴l̷o̸o̶k̶ ̵a̷t̷ ̷h̵i̴m̶'̵ . ̵'̵w̷h̶a̷t̶ ̴a̵ ̸m̸e̴s̶s̷'̷ . ̸'̷k̵i̶c̴k̸ ̸h̴i̷m̶ ̵o̴u̸t̶!̶ ̵k̸i̴c̷k̶ ̵h̸i̴m̸ ̶o̷u̴t̵!̶'_

The quiet was quickly getting on Tommy's nerves. He didn't like being held down this long, it made him uncomfortable. And when he was uncomfortable, he did the only thing he really knew how to. Complain and talk his way out of it. "Look I’ll leave, I’ll leave! I’ll go back to Logstedshire and never come back. Just- just let me go. Let me go and I won’t come back to bother you anymore. You can keep everything, you can have it all. Just PLEASE let go of me-”

_'̵H̶E̴L̵P̶ ̴H̷I̴M̴ ̸T̴E̶C̴H̴N̶O̸!̷!̷!̷' . '̶G̸O̸ ̷K̵I̴L̵L̴ ̶D̵R̶E̵A̵M̴!̴ ̶D̵R̴E̴A̴M̵ ̸D̵I̵D̴ ̴T̵H̶I̴S̸!̶!̶'̷ . '̷H̷E̶'̴S̵ ̷J̵U̸S̷T̷ ̷A̶ ̷B̵O̸Y̶ ̶H̸E̶L̶P̵ ̴H̷I̶M̶!̶!̵' . '̶H̵E̶'̵S̸ ̶B̸E̴E̴N̴ ̵S̶T̸E̸A̴L̵I̴N̴G̴,̶ ̴K̴I̶C̴K̴ ̷H̴I̴M̶ ̵O̵U̸T̷!̸' . '̶L̴E̶T̸ ̷H̷I̶M̵ ̷S̷T̴A̶Y̶!̷'_

_‘Guys, just stop-’_

“Just let me go! I stole, and I hid, and I admit it!! I admit it all. I am in the wrong here! Just, let me go back to nothing, please. I’ll be out of your hair before you know it. You’ll never have to see me again. I swear it.”

 _'̵K̷I̵C̷K̷ ̴H̸I̷S̸ ̸T̷H̸I̴E̷F̷ ̶A̶S̴S̸ O̸U̶T̵!̵' . '̸T̴H̴I̸E̵F̶'̵ . '̷S̸T̷U̷P̴I̴D̸ ̵B̸O̶Y̷' . '̵R̶O̵T̵T̶E̵N̶ ̷T̴H̷I̶E̸F̸' . '̸D̵O̷N̵'̸T̷ ̴H̵U̵R̵T̷ ̷H̶I̴-̴'_

“Just don’t tell Dre-”

“SHUT UP!” Techno roared suddenly without warning, a startle to both himself and his brother. A beastly snarl accompanied his shouting as his face morphed into that of an extremely pissed off boar, something he turned away to hide so Tommy didn't have to see it. He was snorting and huffing as he tried to settle his frustrations, choosing pace around 'his corner' the room to give himself something to do. His half-beast hands settled in his hair, clawed digits pulling at his hair and digging at his scalp as he tried desperately to put himself back together. _‘I hate you all so much. This is your fault, this is all your fault. I can’t go one day without you all fu- MMMMM. Just GO AWAY! For TEN MINUTES!!!’_ Techno had been here before with Chat. Eventually, they seemed to notice when enough was enough. So, they let him be for once. 

Still in the corner of the room, Tommy let out faint whimper that caused Techno to snap around to face him in concern. “Tommy.” He calls, not harshly, but not quite softly either. Sort of a firm and semi quiet middle ground to grab his attention, which worked all too well.

“Yes, sir?” He asks without hesitation. God, Techno did _not_ like that./p>

“ _Haaaa? _Do **not** call me that. Do you hear me, Tommy? You know my name, only call me that. I don’t ever want to hear that from your mouth again- oh my god, there’s so much about that I hate." He put his palms to his temples, sighing as that was something Chat would be stuck on for days now. "Never do it again, never ever- got it?” He got a vigorous nod in return. “You know what? I’ll take it.” This was some kind of progress, Techno assumed at least. Tommy was actually responding this time around, and he wasn't screaming nor crying anymore. So he’d take what little victories he could get. “Now, we’re just going to have a nice little chat- you’re not in trouble, I just-” Shaking his head with a sigh, he moves closer and kicks open a clean spot on the floor to sit. God, why must Tommy be such a messy child wherever he goes.__

__

__

“Does the distance between us make you feel any better?” He asks, pink ear flicking a little as a few stray hairs tickled it annoyingly.

Tommy answered with a nod while pulling scraped knees up to his chest, exposing his bare feet. Right, he took off his slippers and threw them into the pile.

“God, Tommy- put these back on before your feet freeze off." He turns around and reaches behind him into the pile of clutter dumped there previously, soon finding the slippers after some digging and tossed them next to the boy. "Just keep em, I can make myself new ones.” He smiles a little. He'd keep them but Tommy wore them once, and to be blunt, he smelt like shit. So Techno _definitely _didn’t want them now. Especially after being down here, so he might as well keep them. “I don’t want to bother Phil with having magically reattach your feet back if they freeze off down here. So go on, put them on. You still know how shoes work right?” He laughed a little, but he was also asking a serious question.__

____

____

Tommy nodded and looked at the slipper, then back to Techno, mouth slightly agape in a look of disbelief. A gift? There had to be a catch. Surely. Since these would be taken again the next morning. There was now ay Techno would just... He was cold, Techno was right. And if Techno himself insisted, then at least for now he'd put them on. They'd grant him some sort of comfort and warmth, and he’d be stupid to not accept a gift from a man like him. “Thank you, Techno. Thank you so much.” He wasted not a moment longer slipping them both on, a small smile spreading across his face at the warmth the slippers provided. That felt _so_ much better.

“Now that we’ve established peace through gifts and stolen food, you know I’m not gonna hurt you, right? Like, yeah. You shouldn’t be here and you stole I dunno how much of my stuff, and I'm a little _mad_. But I’m not gonna do anything to you over. I mean I very well could, I'm highly trained to deal with thieves and scoundrel's- Anyway, anyway. I’m retired now, I’m peaceful. You know that, Tommy, right?” Well, he was peaceful except for the constantly hundred thousand or more voices constantly filling his brain with thoughts of evil things to do. Any time other than when he listened to them, was Techno peaceful.

“I…” Tommy’s smile started to fade a little, not liking that he was the center of attention again, since usually it resulted in something bad happening to him, whether he was forgiven or not. Why couldn’t they just go back to the slippers? Or the apples? Or just sit in comforting silence again? God.

“Tommy, before I wasn’t yelling at you. I was..” Ah, right. Techno had yet to tell Tommy about Chat. Tommy was young when he first started hearing them. Too young, something even Phil agreed to. They tried when he was a bit older, but Tommy just never wanted to listen. So he was suggested to wait until Tommy grows up to explain things to him but, as the years went on, there never seemed to be a right time to explain it all to his younger brother. Well could now, technically. But when were conversations ever that easy? Like yeah, he could totally just break the silence with _'Hey Tommy. I have nearly two hundred thousand individual voices in my head at all times. Sometimes they tell me to pull pranks, other times they tell me to stab people and consume their blood. All in all, I’m a peaceful guy now, the Blood God is no more. You believe me, right?’_

Yeah. That'd go swimmingly.

“Tommy. You feel safe here, right?” Techno settled on asking instead. He felt that conversation would go down better.

Tommy didn’t respond in any noticeable way, at least not at first. His breathing was a bit calmer now, picking up slightly due to the spotlight being back on him, but nothing he couldn't manage this time. He still was acting like a deer caught in headlights, afraid to move too much and cause a crash. Soon though, he overcame his fears just enough to give the smallest of nods for an answer. It was all he could give at this point.

“Alright, good. That’s good.” _‘God… What the hell happened to you out there..’_ Techno simply sat and watched as his youngest brother preferred to stare and toy with a few bits of rubble on the floor rather than engage in a conversation with his own brother. Just a few weeks ago he was lively as ever, just a bit sad he couldn't go home. Now he was picking at a bit of trash stuck to the floor now, trying to get his mind to focus on anything other than conflict. Just what the hell happened to him?

 _‘Where are you when I need you, Phil?’_ Techno’s jaw clenched as he took in a sharp breath, then slowly exhaled, forcing himself to remain calm. Panic and anger didn’t mix, and the very last thing he wanted to try was mixing the two together when Tommy was in this kind of state. He may be a calculated yet risky beast at times, but Techno especially knew better than to try experimenting with new things now of all times.

“Tommy.” He calls softly, genuinely calm. And it seemed to work. Tommy slowly turned to look in his brother’s direction, though their matched gaze only lasted a few seconds before he nervously flicked his attention back to the floor. Progress.

“Yes?” The blond asks, voice just barely above a whisper.

“I…” To be honest, Techno didn’t expect to get this far. “I, you-” He released another sigh. He had so many questions but none of them felt right to ask. How did he get here? Where was Dream? When did he last eat a decent meal? It was freezing in here, how was he not frozen yet? Where were his shoes? How did he get this far without them? W h y was he here? UNDER his home of all places, in one of the coldest places in the country, with little to no supplies of his own? Why couldn’t he have just listened back in L’manberg? Why did he care so much about two damn discs? Why was he this way? Who did this to him?

Why wasn’t Dream the one out here taking care of him?

So many things to ask, but none of them he could question properly at this current time. At least not right now. Techno couldn’t bring himself to try and risk asking something that big of Tommy when the boy looked like he could barely stand up. God, kid looked like he wasn’t ready for half the shit he’d been through out in the wilderness Dream had left him in. After all, he was just a kid. Thrown into an adult’s war over things he should have never have even been concerned about- _‘Enough.’_

Poor bastard. Techno decided to just settle on calling him that.

Being the more emotionally stable of the two knew that were he to try and aid Tommy on his own, he would most likely say something he would later regret. Or he would accidentally snap or get too emotional in his ranting to the point that Tommy would probably freak out and panic again. So instead, and mostly so Techno didn’t have to be the one to baby Tommy back to his old self, he decided to call someone. A very special, someone.

“I’m calling Phil.” Techno announced, and Tommy seemed to perk up immediately at the mention of their father. He missed him so much, he hasn't seen Phil in a while. Not since before the beach party... He still wishes they’d showed up to that, he worked hard making everything so perfect. Maybe he could ask Techno later why Phil never made it there. 

He watched as Techno pulled his communications device from his pocket and dialed up Phil, huffing softly at how many rings went by without an answer.

_'̷P̶H̵I̷L̴Z̶A̶!̵?̴?̵!̴' . '̸P̶H̵I̵L̸Z̴A̸ ̶M̵I̸N̷E̶C̸R̶A̷F̵T̵!̷?̷!̶!̸?̷' . '̵P̶H̴I̷L̵ ̷P̴H̶I̵L̴ ̷P̴H̵I̴L̵ ̶P̵H̶I̶L̵'_

 _‘Hush.’_ The beast scolded a little. Chat always got so excited for Phil. He never understood why. Sure, he got happy to talk to the man too, but they always got so emotional about it. Like they never even met their own fathers before or something. It was super weird.

He shook his head, discarding the thought. Techno wasn’t built for emotions, this was always known to basically everyone. He was built for fighting, for war, for bloodshed. He was to be nothing but a tool in another's war until he was thrown aside, discarded until required for victory once more. At least that's how it's always felt. Even before Phil found him, that's just how it was. And not only was he a tool, he was a _**monster**_ as well. Nothing but a beast just waiting for the smallest drop of blood to cross his senses and make him snap and become the true weapon of war they all desired him to be. What would cause the next break? Techno wondered and feared that all too often. What would ensure the release of the Blood God upon a new unsuspecting land? What would be the final draw to cause him to decide the fates of those he loved?

Would he be forced to fight his own family? 

No, he can’t be thinking like that. Techno runs a hand through his pink locks, his fingers pulling a little too tightly on their way out. Looking down at his hands, he seemed to have pulled out some hair on accident. Oh well.

He needed to focus on something else. Something aside from whatever his thoughts or Chat could throw at him. While waiting for Phil to answer, the oldest brother looks over to the younger, wondering just how he got into this mess, and if there was any way to cure it. Surely Phil could figure out something to bring Tommy back to his old self. He must be able to. This side of Tommy was so... weird, and tame. Techno had never seen it before, and to be completely honest. He never wanted to again.

 _“Techno? What’s wrong?”_ Suddenly sounded a troubled yet also very tired Philza through the device, who finally picked up the phone after what felt like an eternity. He sounded like he'd been startled awake, though he didn't sound like he was going to fall back asleep anytime soon either. Thank god. "You alright? You never call this late into the night.” Phil was already starting to sound a bit worried, like usual. He was such a dad.

“No no I’m fine, I’m not the problem here. You see, a certain idiotic blond child has been living under my house for I don't know _how_ many days now, and Phil I-” Techno turns away, a hand coming up to shield part of the device near the mic before starting to whisper. “Somethings happened to him, Phil. He’s not right, it’s like he’s barely here.” He glances over to the corner where Tommy remained unmoving and sighed. “I don’t know what to do, Phil. I… I need you here, please. You know I don’t like asking for help unless it’s serious, I don’t? know what to do, honestly.”

 _“Say no more.”_ There was some shuffling on Phil’s end of the call, seemingly already starting to pack his things to ready for the long journey ahead. It was annoying to have bases so far from each other. But, that is what made them secret. It would be obvious if they both had their bases right next to each other, should someone find one of them. _“Do you want me to stay on the line while I make my way there?”_

“No no no, it's fine. Just focus on getting here as fast as possible. That’s all I need from you now, Phil. Just get here safely.” His father was a selfless man sometimes. He always put his children first. His kindness never ceased to surprise Techno. Even in the most inconvenient times for himself, Phil would always be there for his family no matter what. Especially Techno. He made Phil one of those cheesy handmade ‘#1 Dad’ mugs for one of their first holidays together for a reason.

_“You know I’m always safe. Just keep him there, don’t let him run off or start panicking again. I’ll see you soon- Oh, and Techno?”_

“Yeah, Phil?”

 _“You’re doing the right thing here, even if it doesn’t seem like it right now. You are.”_ Phil then hung up without letting Techno get a reply in.

“Dammit Phil.” Techno sighed, slipping the device back into his pocket after shutting it off. _‘Just keep him here until Dad arrives… that can’t be too hard, can it?’_ He casts a look in Tommy’s direction, seeing that he was starting to fall asleep sitting up. After an emotional evening like this, it was no wonder the blond would be so drained of energy.

“Alright, it’s time for you to get some proper sleep this time.” He started for the ladder, tempted to just leave Tommy until Phil showed up in the morning but.. Had he been in Tommy’s shoes, he would want a little more kindness than that. And chat only helped to fuel his decision.

 _'̶D̸o̵n̸'̵t̶ ̶j̵u̴s̵t̴ ̶l̶e̵a̴v̶e̶.̴'̵ . '̶c̶o̵v̷e̷r̶ ̵h̷i̸m̴ ̶u̸p̶!̵'̶ . '̵g̴i̷v̸e̸ ̴h̵i̶m̶ ̸a̷ ̶b̷l̷a̸n̷k̸e̷t̸!̴' . '̷B̴e̴ ̵n̵i̷c̶e̵,̶ ̸T̸e̴c̸h̸n̶o̶'̶_

Sighing, Techno gave in to his demons and searched around the cramped room for what he was looking for. "Aha! Here's the blanket I've been missing for a week." It had been shoved between the wall and a chest for some reason. “Here, Tommy. Take this." He holds up the blanket to show the tired boy what it was and what he planned to do with it, giving him a few moments to let his intentions soak in before moving to drape it over him. He was being as gentle as one could be, and Techno pulled away just as slow to prevent Tommy from flinching at any sudden movements. He seemed to appreciate it, it seemed. Techno noting a small smile forming on the boy’s face as he curled up under the blanket, balling most of it up against his chest as he tucked himself in for the night. Not even a minute later, Tommy was fast asleep.

“Job well done.” Techno smiled as still gloved hands moved to rest on his hips in a triumphant pose. “He looks pretty peaceful when he’s not acting like a feral cat, huh chat?”

He got too many responses to properly hear more than a few of them, but the few Techno did manage to process got a little chuckle out of him. “Alright, time for me to sleep as well. Tomorrow we’ll see Phil and then- uh, honestly I don’t know what we’ll do. But something, I’m sure.” He blew out the few lanterns Tommy had lit then walked to the ladder, stopping one last time to look at his brother.

Was this really the way they started the next chapter of their lives? Tommy just, leaving his exile to go live like a burrow species of animal under his house until what? Until Dream eventually finds him? And now that Techno knew he was here, was he just supposed to let bygones be bygones so easily? After all the unnecessary strife this kid has caused not only him, but the rest of the DreamSMP? He supposed. After all, Tommy was only a child. And children make mistakes, and thus they should normally be given more grace than the average adu-

_'̶l̸m̸a̵o̶ ̴l̸m̸a̵o̷ ̶l̶m̸a̵o̴ ̵l̶m̴a̴o̸'̷ . '̴s̶l̸e̷e̵p̴y̴i̵n̴n̸i̵t̶!̸'̷ . '̸t̵h̷e̶ ̶p̷i̷s̷s̵ ̶r̸o̴o̵m̷ ̸i̶s̵ ̷d̶a̴r̵k̴ ̵n̷o̶w̷'̴ . '̷P̶I̸S̶S̵ ̶F̶O̶R̶ ̷T̵H̵E̷ ̸P̷I̶S̸S̸ ̷G̶O̵D̴'̸_

"Okay that's it. You all just ruined that tender moment in my brain. It was a cool moment, I was giving in to focus more on protecting my family and you just had to ruin the moment- in fact, you ruined my entire night! Piss god- I cannot believe you just made me say that, oh my god. I hate all of you SO so much." Techno starts his rant as he goes back upstairs, not bothering to put the stone back in its place. "You would not believe, the amount of hatred one pig can contain. You just would not. And boy am I struggling to contain it.” Fighting chat was a worry for another day, he quickly decided. For now, he needed rest, and lots of it. It wasn’t him admitting defeat to Chat, no no. Just a, uh.. Tactical retreat to bed to plan his next attack against them and prepare for tomorrow... Yeah, yeah that was it. He was being smart. It was still Techno-10,732, chat-0, after all.

“Alright Chat, time to quiet down now. You all damn well know it's bedtime.” Techno warned as he made his way back upstairs, kicking off his boots before climbing up the last ladder to his room. His bed made of polar bear furs and sheep's wool never looked so good in his entire life. He just flopped down the moment he was close enough to it, not even bothering to pull the blanket over himself. He was just so damn tired.

_'̵G̸n̵!̶!̶!̴' . '̴G̴o̴o̶d̵n̶i̶g̵h̵t̸ ̶T̷e̶c̶h̸n̴o̷!̵!̷' . '̵g̷n̷n̵n̸n̵n̷' . '̷g̵n̵ ̶g̵n̶ ̵g̶n̸!̶ ̴ <̵3̸ ̶≮3̵' - '̵b̸y̸e̶e̴e̴e̶e̸' - ̶'̵z̸z̸z̴z̸z̴z̸z̶z'̵ _

“Mmm… Goodnight, chat.” He muttered quietly into his pillow took hold of him and dragged him into deep slumber. Maybe he’d dream of something this time and actually remember it. He knew he had dreams often, though more bad than good he felt. But actually remembering them? Those were quite rare. Sometimes he’d wake up from a dream that felt super important, like it was giving him a message, but all he could remember were little snippets that he eventually forgot as well. Other times he'd wake up in a sweat so bad that he wondered if he truly even wanted to know what his hellish brain had dreamt up that night.

Ah well. Who cared about a simple Dream anyway?


	3. Waking Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You ever get a nightmare you just can't shake?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy this chapter! I rewrote 1 and 2, so if you enjoy this one then please go back and let me know how I did on the first two!! If I made any mistakes I'll clean them up when I've got time. Happy reading!  
> Twitter: @luciddaymare

Tommy did.

Tommy cared about a simple Dream.

Even whilst deep in sleep, the young teen could never seem to escape the bastard that haunted every waking moment of his life. The man cloaked in earthly green and hellish ingot. He who tainted everything he touched with inky shadows, twisted words and wounds that would never heal properly. The man whose mask, was his legacy. Who’s tongue, his venom. And his axe, the last thing many see. And said man, was someone Tommy could never shake from his mind. No matter how hard he tried. 

It always felt like he was somewhere deep within his psyche. Taunting him. _Watching him._ Overseeing Tommy's every move and making him second guess things that previously, he would’ve never thought twice about. He was in his head constantly, like a never-ending phantom always lurking in the shadowy corners of his mind, and his life was now, well

Like a waking nightmare.

Everywhere drained blue-ish gray eyes looked, Tommy could swear to the sun and back he caught a glimpse of familiar green suddenly duck behind a tree he’d passed. Or he could promise you he heard the start of a wheezing laugh in the wind that brought both pure joy and terror. Or that during lone walks along the beach past dusk, when there was no one but Tommy and the stars above him, how he would feel a light breeze run across the nape of his neck so strong it would cause him to collapse into the sand. He would throw his hands protectively over his neck and sit there until his legs went numb. Cripplingly afraid that were he to move even a single inch, a familiar war-stained axe painted with the blood of hundreds would come flying out of the treeline to collide with his already weakened body. Taking the final life he fought so hard to keep. 

It terrified him to no end being out here alone.

And yet, there was never a threat at the end of the day. Not really. And Tommy knew this well. Dream made sure the area was safe before he brought Tommy out to his exile, save for the occasional mob coming from a poorly lit area of the deep forest nearby. It was just him, a few sheep, and an ex-girlfriend. Unless Dream was around. Then safety was all he felt. But, he wished he could feel that way even without the man at his side. He was too dependent, he knew that. But… Could he be blamed?

Eventually Tommy grew used to the place, as anyone would. The night became less scary as he remembered his surroundings (and learned to better place torches around the area). Him and Ghostbur started to create more things and safer places to stay. It was nice, but it wasn’t exactly peaceful still.

Peace was rare for Tommy. It was something he never really got to truly experience in this short life of his. The only moments of peace he could remember were old fits of laughter between ex-friends and family members, all faint and fleeting just the same. What he remembered vividly were a few soft moments accompanied by the cheerful tune of whatever beloved music disc he threw into his jukebox next to that bench he built with his best friend. He remembered saying something dumb and Wilbur immediately writing it down, the older brother vowing to never let him let down something so stupid. He also remembered when he first met Tubbo, his younger adopted brother. But that was something he didn’t want ro remember right now.

Memories like those made Tommy feel strange when he remembered them. It stirred up some sticky, wrenching feeling around in his chest that he didn’t like. It felt strange, like how he felt when he got sick with a stomach bug, but it rested in his chest this time instead. Whenever he used to feel like this, he would usually go try and talk to Dream to gain a distraction from it. Or he would go stand at either of his screaming stations and cry or shout until it was time for bed. Sometimes, it worked. But on the nights it didn’t, the worst nights, Tommy was left to remember the times that made his heart ache.

He’d remember things back in L’manberg, before the wars were even a thought and back to when things were good and quiet. But not too quiet.  
When he had a home full of friends and family that cared about him, no worries of death or having responsibilities that no child should be forced to uphold at such an age. He just missed being a child, man. Because he never got to finish his childhood, or finish his long list of things he wanted to accomplish before becoming an adult. He fought in wars for fucks sakes. His entire family nearly died in front of him and he lost so many things he cherished in the process. And what was it all for? A home he couldn’t even set foot in now?

Now… Now he had nothing. 

He lived in a poor excuse of a tent, one that had holes in all the wrong places that let in the rain while he slept. He could be in the warm walls of Logstedshire, even in the house Ghostbur had made, maybe. But he was stubborn, and refused the better lodging out of not wanting to be pitied. So, he was left with what he’d created and been given. And dear god, was it a shit show.

Speaking of shit, where was his family? They didn’t seem to give two shits about him since he got thrown out into the wilderness and banned from ever going home again. His friends visited, sure. Out of nothing but pity though. Pity and attention for themselves. Hell, despite that, Tommy had made an entire beach party with Dream just for them so they would want to come out and spend even a small portion of their day with him! Just one day! He even entrusted Ghostbur, the one he felt was one of his only remaining friends and brothers, to go deliver the invites to everyone. He trusted him. But where was he now? Nowhere to be seen. Just like everyone he invited a week ago. The only one to ever show up was Dream. Because Dream cared.

Most nights the boy was lost sitting in the sand for countless hours, knuckles white with tension holding fistfuls of sand and spilt tears. He often pondered why he had any good feelings remaining towards his family anymore. ‘They should be here.’ He thinks, teeth digging into dried out lips as he refuses to shed anymore tears. ‘I did all this for them… I did everything for them. Why didn’t they show up?’ He bites back a painful sob slowly rising up his throat. No more tears for them. Not again.

If his family truly cared, they'd be visiting him daily. They’d check in on him, make sure he’s eating and sleeping well, and that overall he was doing alright out here. They'd be at his side when he needed them most and comfort Tommy how they did best. He could picture it now.

His father would step down from the portal, arms and feathery wings spread wide for a hug the boy had been waiting to feel for what felt like years at this point. His father would run kind and careful fingers through his dirty hair. Chuckling as he picked out leaves and grime, commenting on how he’s never changed since he was a child. And every so often he’d whisper soft assurances of times promised to change for the better until Tommy was at peace with the world again.

His older brother would also walk out, trademark guitar in hand, already strumming a few worn out strings before he’d start to sing old songs Tommy grew up hearing him write. He knew every word by heart, Wilbur knew this. So when he would purposely mess up a lyric to grab his attention, twisting the words into a joke in the older’s best attempt to tug free a little fit of laughter from his younger brother. It would work, of course, and he’d join in with him.

His barely older brother would stumble after the pair also. His mind quickly beginning to buzz just like his bee friends as he began reading boring books on theories and the unknown he wished to become known in an attempt to bore the worry out of Tommy’s mind. He’d crack the occasional crap joke or misread something due to his dyslexia which would manage to get Tommy to laugh. And it was all he would need to know he’s making a difference.

Hell, even their oldest brother, Techno would even try to comfort him in some way. He’d probably take Tommy down to the beach and just sit with him. Shoes off, legs dipping into cold salt of the ocean as the older would spin stories of forgotten heroes lost to time in such a magical way that it felt like he was watching a movie. The only time his trance would be broken was when a wave suddenly too cold from the last washed up and shivered him out of the story, but it didn’t take long to be captivated once more.

That, was the family he missed. The ones that were as different as night and day from each other, but they all cared in their own way. That’s what Tommy wanted more than anything right now. Just that, for one night. _One, night._

But tonight, nobody came. 

_Nobody ever did._

And Tommy was fine with that, at least that’s what he forced himself to believe. Because he had Dream. And Dream was everything he could ever possibly need. He was a friend, he was family. He was his home.

And unlike his blood family, even the nights when Tommy was at his lowest, and not even Dream was around for once, he still knew the man cared about him. It wasn’t obvious at the start of his exile, no. But once he got to know the guy, he also picked up on the little things that showed just how much this man truly cared about him.

He saw it in moments like when Dream would start to smile because Tommy gave up his armor and tools before he was even asked, something he would reward with happy praise and a soft pat on the head. It was like the times Dream would accompany him on long mining trips to replace what he had lost. The caves would fill with lighthearted banter, laughter, questions and enough stories to fill a grand library. Or the times Dream stayed longer than he meant to just to give Tommy some company while he finished his tedious tasks of the day around Logstedshire. It was simply just the fact that out of everyone that could come see him, it was always Dream. Because he was truly, the only one that cared.

And for that, Tommy would forever be grateful to Dream

Dream’s presence was like a blanket of safety and joy. He’d wear it to bed and curl up in the good moments he shared with the man that day. It was the only thing that brought a smile to his face anymore. And that’s why, when Tommy saw the man in his dreams that night, he felt nothing but comfort. Not a trace of fear in sight.

-

Tommy was sitting on the beach, legs crossed and toes buried deep into the cool sand. The sun was setting- actually, was it? The sky was in a constant mix of purple and orange, the sun ready to set for the night and allow the moon to rise, but it never actually dipped further into the watery horizon. It was confusing, but beautiful, nonetheless. To the boy’s right, he noticed in the corner of his vision, stood Dream further down the sandy shore, facing Tommy with the perfect stillness of a statue. In his right hand, the blond picked up on quickly, was Dream’s weapon of choice resting on his shoulder. His netherite axe, _**Nightmare.**_ The very weapon that took Tommy’s first life, and nearly his last a few times now. His other hand was simply shoved into his pocket, probably to keep the cold frozen breeze from nipping too harshly at his fingers.

To anyone else, the sight would’ve been the horror film definition of terrifying. But to Tommy, it was just a friend ready to spend some time with him. Maybe slightly unsettling still, but that was just Dream. So Tommy was nothing but elated in the moment as he rose from the sand he’d sat in for God knows how long.

“Dream! My friend, my pal!!! Oh how I’ve missed you!” Tommy laughs as he attempts to run across the uneven terrain. His feet sank in some wetter parts of the sand, but he didn’t pay too much mind to how deep it got at times.

He stopped running about a few meters away, slowly closing the distance instead with a calm walk. “It feels like it’s been forever! How are you? How’ve you been?!” He asks, ecstatic to finally have someone to talk to again. “I hope you’ve been well! Today I got busy doing-” He went on and on about something he’d built that day for a few good long moments until he realized Dream wasn’t really responding to him how he usually did. No quiet ‘Oh really?’s or ‘Is that so?’. No little bits of laughter or audible eye rolls as Tommy told his epic tales of the day. Just simple silence.

Now things were a little scary.

“Huh, you alright, Dream?”

Nothing.

“Uhh… Dream? You in there man?” He steps closer, testing the invisible boundary lines he was specifically told not to cross before. But yet, still nothing. “Hmm.” He moved a little closer and looked up, noticing Dream seemed to tower over him more than usual in the current moment. He also noticed the older man was smiling just slightly, lips gently tugged upwards in a small smile. His mask stopped just below his nose, leaving his mouth and jawline visible at all times. So it allowed Tommy to see the thin smile that lay set in his lips, unmoving like finely carved stone.

Alright. This was definitely somewhat unsettling now.

‘Is he waiting for me to move or something?’ 

He blinks a few times, trying to think of what he could do or say. “Dream? My friend?” He frowns. Why wasn’t he responding? This was Dream, right? This was the man he’s grown closer to than anyone else in recent times? This wasn’t a prank or a statue or something. It was him, right? It had to be. Who else could it be?

“H-Hey, Dream? C’mon, man. I don’t like this.” Tommy whines a little while daringly moving closer. Now that he was up close and able, he started inspecting the other more than he ever had before. He had the opportunity, so why not get a better look at him?

He seemed real. It’s not like this was just a plastic version of him or something. His famous hoodie was muddled with dirt and old stains and rips from past fights Tommy was sure he’d been a part of. His jawline as sharp as his weapons, a few faded scars stood out on his slightly tanned freckled skin. He had a tiny bit of stubble, as if he’d missed a few days shaving, mind too busy on other projects to tend to it. Tommy turned to look at the axe resting on his shoulder. His eyes first connected with one staring back at him. Encrusted in the center of the netherite axe, was an eye. A dragon eye, to be specific. Something he never noticed until he got close. It was a mix of purples and various greens that caused such a striking pattern. It blinked at him slowly, somehow alive while its scaly hide was also wrapped around the head of the axe. Tied to its hilt, just below the head, was a white scrap of cloth with an emblem of fire on the end sewn in by shiny red and orange string. Tucked into the knot of that fabric, was a blue flower, long since wilted, but still held tight in its spot from when it was still fresh. He inspected the blade again, noticing that aside from a few dents in the sharpened side of the blade and some dried blood stains, it was miraculously well taken care of. Mending, he supposed was the reason for it. There were also a few enchantments burned into the metal, pulsating with a soft glow every so often as a reminder of the magic within.

Deciding to focus on happier things instead of weapons of war, he looks back to Dream’s mask. That goddamn smile. He always wondered why Dream picked it. What in it made him like it so much? Was it that it was appealing and friendly to everyone he liked, but terrifying to those that didn’t? Perhaps. Or maybe it was just easy to throw onto a hoodie- Either way, Tommy had grown to like it. As his eyes scanned over the white material, a previously owned smile slowly faded from the boy’s expression when he noticed a familiar mark left behind in the piece. It was the scar from an arrow. One he himself had fired during the duel.

‘So I was that close to winning, was I?’ He laughs a little, shaking his head. That victory was never meant to be his. In the end, it led him here. Had he killed Dream, maybe they never would’ve become friends. So Tommy much preferred this timeline to any other.

“Dream, I don’t quite appreciate the silence here, mate.” Tommy spoke up after a while, getting tired of the silent treatment. He lightly tapped against the man’s enchanted netherite chestplate, the action causing slight pain in his fingers afterwards. Thorns. Ouch.

“Dream, come on man. I don’t like feeling like I’m actually alone out here.” He glances around. They were alone, technically. And with idle thoughts and no one to tell him no, Tommy thought up a devilish plan. Dream still remained unmoved, so he decided to risk it and answer the burning question that had haunted him from the start. 

“I wonder what you look like under that mask of yours…” Tommy ponders aloud.

He reaches up, fingers tentatively curling underneath the smooth brim of the mask to allow him to lift it up about an inch, just testing his limits. Dream still had yet to react. So far so good. He started slow again, planning to just keep going inch by inch until his entire face was uncovered, but something snapped in Tommy’s mind and before he could question it, he had ripped the mask off Dream’s face, snapping the ties that bound it to his head. It flew off into the sand somewhere behind him, but that was little concern compared to what he was witnessing right now.

There was… Nothing. There was no face under the mask. He had no eyes, no nose- nothing.  
This couldn’t be real.

“W-What the fuc-”

 _ **“It’s very real, Tommy.”**_ Dream suddenly cuts him off, his voice oddly calm despite the situation. Tommy was standing a good distance away now, eyes as wide as the moon while his chest rose and fell at a pace that was far too fast to be good for him. He was, quite literally, shaking in his iron boots. He knew the consequences of what he had done, and he knew what the consequences of going against Dream entailed.

Either death. Or wishing that he would be dead.

“D-Dream? What the fuck are you?”

 _ **“You know my axe, right Tommy?"**_ His previously pencil thin smile was now a wide shining grin, illuminated too well in the moonlight.

 _ **“‘Nightmare’. Edgy stuff, huh?”**_ He laughs. It sounds forced.

‘When did the sun set-’

 _ **“Focus, Tommy. I’m what’s important here.”**_ Dream snaps as he takes a large step towards him. _**“Not, you.”**_ His head tilted slightly as he dropped his axe to his side, swinging it loosely, toying with it as if it weren't such a deadly weapon. _**“My axe… The tool that is the sum of my being, a collection of all I have ever accomplished, have ever thought, and have ever killed.”**_ His jaw drops open and he starts to cackle as he takes another large step. _**“I’m what it’s named after.”**_ He stops after another step, the axe stilling the instant Dream willed it to.

**_“I’m your Nightmare, Tommy.”_** Suddenly, two pairs of red eyes and a familiar thin smile appeared in the void of Dream’s face. And before Tommy could even process it, the axe was suddenly thrown his way at an ungodly speed, striking him in an instant. Everything went black, was it over for him?


End file.
